Over the last month or so, I’ve watched the trees change to vibrant red, orange and yellow leaves. Now, as I look out the window, I see the leaves drifting slowly down to the ground. It’s still magnificent, but there’s a tinge of sadness as I watch the beauty change for winter. Winter will be beautiful, but in its own way. The bare trees won’t last forever. They will come back just as beautiful as before, but it will be different then, too.
As with the change of seasons I’m reminded of the changes that I go through. Each season of life is beautiful in its own way. My seasons are changing as well. Sometime the beauty is obvious. I see God at work in my life and feel His power. Sometimes the beauty of my season feels different. As with the bareness of winter, I find myself feeling isolated. My children are adults, living their own lives. Others in my life have concerns of their own. But spring is coming. I have my first grandchild coming in April. My time of laughter and love is coming.
Where are you in your season? Are you celebrating or mourning? Are you embracing life or giving up? Wherever you are, know that God is with you, joyously sharing the blessings of life. Even in your struggles, know it’s for a time. It may feel interminable, but we know God will lead us through the pains of life. If we are looking, we will see the blessings even in the down time. In the midst of winter, we have the blessings of the coming of the Christ child. Snowstorms provide a backdrop to staying inside where it is warm and safe. We can focus on the difficulties of life or shift our focus to the blessings God provides. The seasons will change and so will we.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.”
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
Comments